Soften
by VickyVicarious
Summary: Feenie courts Franzy. She pretends it doesn't melt her to mush. [college!Feenie/Franziska AU fluff]


**Prompt:** Give me our favourite ice queen (Franziska, of course) being slowly melted by a really sweet/earnest guy.

* * *

"Franzy! Over here!"

Franziska von Karma, prosecuting prodigy, stumbled at the familiar voice and nearly fell into the hole at the center of the crime scene. Turning her head sharply to the side, she leveled a glare at the young man on the other side of the police tape.

He only beamed back at her, waving his arms obnoxiously above his head.

"I'll be back in a moment, Detective," she sighed, before picking her way over to the edge of the crime scene.

"Phoenix Wright," she snapped upon arrival, "how many times must I tell you that my name is Franziska! Not _Franzy_."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I just - you blush whenever I call you Franzy, and it's really cute. I'll stop if you really hate it."

Franziska opened her mouth, then clamped it shut again. She could feel heat crawling up her cheeks. She _knew_ it was there because she could see Phoenix's eyes lingering, see the little grin edging up the corner of his mouth, and it was sending shivers down her spine.

"I-if you can't recall a full three syllables, I suppose two will have to do," she said. She felt like her voice was too loud. Phoenix's smile was widening. This was _horrible_. "You are just a _liberal arts major_ , after all."

"Exactly," Phoenix said, with good humor. "Thanks for being so accommodating of my deficiencies. I really love that about you, Franzy."

"Sh-shut up," she hissed. She wanted to reach out and touch the soft fabric of his sweater, feel the firm muscle underneath. She wanted to hold his hand. She wanted him _out of here_ so she could think again, this was why Phoenix Wright was her worst enemy. He always did this - smiling, not being offended, giving her frank compliments and admiring eyes, and, and-

"I know you're busy, so I won't keep bothering you," he said - _considerately_ , the villain. "I just saw this earlier today, and it made me think of you, so I wanted to stop by and give it to you."

Digging in his bookbag, he produced a tube of tinfoil, and passed it over the tape line directly into Franziska's hand. Their fingers brushed as she took it and she held it stiffly in front of her, staring down at it, heart thumping.

"You're meant to unwrap it," Phoenix said gently.

Franziska swallowed, and did so. A tall stem was revealed, with blue flowers emerging at upward angles all around it. The petals were soft.

"Summer snapdragon," Phoenix said. "Which sounds pretty fierce. But they're also called angelonias. It all seemed pretty fitting to me."

She looked up and he was gazing at her fondly, and there had been a certain emphasis to his words, and she couldn't figure out which she liked more, snapdragon or angelonia - or the fact that both made him think of her. That he was _thinking_ of her. That he'd spent some of his pitiful funds to buy her this flower and then trekked across campus to deliver it in the middle of the afternoon just _because_.

"F-f-fool," Franziska stuttered, and clutched the flower close to her chest.

Phoenix _beamed_. "I'm glad you like it!"

Franziska wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. She wanted him to skip past all of this courting nonsense and show her immediately. She wanted him to _never_ stop this courting nonsense, it was ridiculous and perplexing and mortified her every time but it was _lovely_. She really needed to stop associating with him completely. She hoped he was going to ask her out to coffee again.

"I'm v-very busy right now, Phoenix Wright," she said. Her voice felt stiff as a plank of wood even to her, she didn't understand why his smile looked so adoring, why he was leaning over the tape barrier between them, why he bothered with her at all. He was good-looking and kind and not _always_ an utter fool, so none of this made any sense on his end. "And you will be late for your art history course if you linger here much longer."

"You remembered my schedule, Franzy," Phoenix said, touched. He exuded such _warmth_ that she seriously considered removing her jacket.

"My memory is not so shoddy as some-"

"I know," he said. "You're super smart. It just means a lot that you'd make room for stuff about me in the midst of all the lawbooks up there."

Franziska became a prosecutor at thirteen years old. She was in no way new to praise, having been lauded by the media and acquaintances both for almost seven years now. Being called _super smart_ by Phoenix Wright still knocked all coherent thought right out of her supposedly intelligent mind. She could only stare at him blankly, mouth open like a slob.

He stared back for a moment, then gave a little shiver.

"How is she so _cute_ ," he hissed under his breath, before clearing his throat. "Um, so - I'll get going. I just wanted to say hi, and give you the flower, and, uh... see if you wanted to m-maybe -"

"We'll have dinner tonight," Franziska interrupted boldly. She was certain her face was a very undignified shade of red. Her hands were squeezing tight around the base of the snapdragon. Angelonia. Gift from _Phoenix Wright_ \- "Text me later with a suitable restaurant. There must be silverware and cloth napkins."

"I-I... oh! On it!" Phoenix exclaimed happily. "I'll pick something really nice!"

 _Just kiss me after,_ Franziska wanted to order. Instead, she swallowed loudly, and spun on a heel to stomp back towards the chalk outline and the waiting detective. She didn't turn back around, not even when she heard Phoenix calling an exuberant farewell, along with another promise not to let her with his restaurant choice.

"Was that your boyfriend, si- YEOWCH!" Detective Gumshoe jolted backwards.

"That's none of your business!" Franziska snapped. "We pay you to solve crimes, not speculate on your superiors' love lives! Now get to work!"

"Y-yes sir!"

Franziska made sure to maintain her glare until the detective was hunched down, looking for clues around the edge of the manhole. Only after he had turned completely away, did she lower her face slightly to smell the top bloom of her gift.

It was fruity and sweet, and she couldn't quite contain her smile.


End file.
